Best of Belize
Best of Belize
Though it’s not exactly known for being gay-friendly (homosexuality is still illegal), Belize is a beautiful and somewhat under-discovered country whose residents are some of the most diverse in Central America. Though LGBT travelers should be discreet, the country’s ethnic and religiously diverse population emanates a general live-and-let live attitude; also, with one of the world’s lowest population densities, it’s not too hard to find a quiet corner where you’ll go unnoticed and unbothered.
Belize is the only country in Central America whose official language is English (it was a British colony up until 1981), and Spanish, Kriol, and Mayan languages are widely spoken. There are sizeable Indian, Asian and German Mennonite populations throughout the country as well, and racial tension is surprisingly rare. Mayan women don’t drink at all and gay bars are essentially unheard of, so don’t visit expecting great nightlife. However, Belize is the perfect place to go if you’re looking to commune with nature and interact with more animals than people.
Belize Gay-Friendly Lodges
Though it’s not an especially gay destination, Belize is largely a friendly country to all its tourists. There are a few lodges that are known to be especially gay-friendly. On Ambergris Caye in the city of San Pedro is the Changes in Latitude Bed and Breakfast a tiny resort right on the Caribbean Sea that is reportedly gay-owned. In the San Ignacio area, try the Kumquat Cottage or the Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge.
Belize Lodge and Excursions owns four lodges in mainland Southern Belize and on an island, and in the Belize City area try the Red Hut Inn.
Deserted Islands of Belize
Off the coast in the Caribbean Sea lie about 450 small islands, many sparsely populated or completely deserted. The largest island, Ambergris Caye, is 25 miles long and has long served as a hub for Belize’s ecotourism industry: Some of the country’s best marine wildlife sightings are at the adjacent Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef (a pleasant three-hour boat ride away).
Cari’Bean Tour Belize organizes plenty of wildlife-focused tours along the island.
The second-most developed island off the coast is Caye Caulker, a limestone coral island just 20 miles from Belize City. Farther south lie the Snake Cayes, a chain of tiny, deserted islands that are home to boa constrictors, coconut trees and gigantic hermit crabs.
The Sunsets of Belize
There’s nothing more romantic than enjoying a Belizean sunset with a cup of rum punch (the Belizean cocktail of choice) or a local Beliken beer. From the island chains off the coast, you can look westward toward the mainland and watch the sun set down over the Caribbean Sea.
Nighttime in a country whose entire population is smaller than Pittsburgh’s is pretty amazing: Without city lights and pollution to get in your way, the starry night view from Belize is stunning.
The Sunrise in Belize
Getting up before dawn is worth it to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, and it’s often warm by that time, too. The southern town of Dangriga has some of the best sunrises in the country, but nearly any point on the coast will offer a spectacular view.
The Jungles of Belize - LGBT Travel in Belize
Over 60 percent of Belize is forested, and nearly 40 percent of the land is under some sort of government protection. Hiking through the jungles is an amazing experience: We ran into a fresh jaguar paw print in the mud, a nest of crocodile eggs, a slithering green vine snake and beautiful topical flowers and butterflies. Plantains grow in people’s backyards, and coconut trees are plentiful near the beaches and on the islands.
Look out for the black orchid, the Belizean national flower. Tour companies such as Belize Lodges and Excursions provide qualified, local guides to lead hikers on trails through the nearly untouched wilderness.
Wild Creatures of Belize
Watch carefully for Belize’s national animal, the tapir, an endangered critter that’s related to the horse and looks a little like a warthog. Though we weren’t lucky enough to score a tapir sighting during our trip, plenty of more fortunate visitors report seeing them along the rivers around sunrise and sunset. Belize is also home to lots of jaguars, gorgeous, exotic snakes, crocodiles and 575 species of birds.
We also saw plenty of “Jesus Christ lizards” scampering across the water on their hind legs. Underwater live hundreds of species of beautiful tropical fish, stingrays and sharks.
Most of Belize’s tourists are nature lovers, and many are extreme sports enthusiasts. It’s famous for having the world’s second largest barrier reef, spanning 200 miles, and some amazing snorkeling and scuba diving. Undersea Expeditions , an LGBT scuba company, leads trips to Belize periodically.
Belize’s original inhabitants were the Mopan Maya, who inhabited the area from around 1500 B.C. They are still the predominant ethnic group in many regions, and ruins from their ancient cities are popular tourist attractions. In the Toledo District (the southernmost region of Belize), don’t miss Lubaantun (“the place of fallen stone”), supposedly where the famous crystal skull was discovered in the 1920s.
Lubaantun itself was first discovered in the early 1900s when the Irish Dr. Thomas Gann blew it up with dynamite, destroying much of the rock but leaving many large structures, including ancient ball courts, intact. Just a few miles away is Lim Ni Punit (“big hat”), a site populated by ball courts, shrines and tombs excavated in the 1990s.
Though it’s not exactly known for being gay-friendly (homosexuality is still illegal), Belize is a beautiful and somewhat under-discovered country whose residents are some of the most diverse in Central America. Though LGBT travelers should be discreet, the country’s ethnic and religiously diverse population emanates a general live-and-let live attitude; also, with one of the world’s lowest population densities, it’s not too hard to find a quiet corner where you’ll go unnoticed and unbothered.
Belize is the only country in Central America whose official language is English (it was a British colony up until 1981), and Spanish, Kriol, and Mayan languages are widely spoken. There are sizeable Indian, Asian and German Mennonite populations throughout the country as well, and racial tension is surprisingly rare. Mayan women don’t drink at all and gay bars are essentially unheard of, so don’t visit expecting great nightlife. However, Belize is the perfect place to go if you’re looking to commune with nature and interact with more animals than people.
Belize Gay-Friendly Lodges
Though it’s not an especially gay destination, Belize is largely a friendly country to all its tourists. There are a few lodges that are known to be especially gay-friendly. On Ambergris Caye in the city of San Pedro is the Changes in Latitude Bed and Breakfast a tiny resort right on the Caribbean Sea that is reportedly gay-owned. In the San Ignacio area, try the Kumquat Cottage or the Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge.
Belize Lodge and Excursions owns four lodges in mainland Southern Belize and on an island, and in the Belize City area try the Red Hut Inn.
Deserted Islands of Belize
Off the coast in the Caribbean Sea lie about 450 small islands, many sparsely populated or completely deserted. The largest island, Ambergris Caye, is 25 miles long and has long served as a hub for Belize’s ecotourism industry: Some of the country’s best marine wildlife sightings are at the adjacent Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef (a pleasant three-hour boat ride away).
Cari’Bean Tour Belize organizes plenty of wildlife-focused tours along the island.
The second-most developed island off the coast is Caye Caulker, a limestone coral island just 20 miles from Belize City. Farther south lie the Snake Cayes, a chain of tiny, deserted islands that are home to boa constrictors, coconut trees and gigantic hermit crabs.
The Sunsets of Belize
There’s nothing more romantic than enjoying a Belizean sunset with a cup of rum punch (the Belizean cocktail of choice) or a local Beliken beer. From the island chains off the coast, you can look westward toward the mainland and watch the sun set down over the Caribbean Sea.
Nighttime in a country whose entire population is smaller than Pittsburgh’s is pretty amazing: Without city lights and pollution to get in your way, the starry night view from Belize is stunning.
The Sunrise in Belize
Getting up before dawn is worth it to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, and it’s often warm by that time, too. The southern town of Dangriga has some of the best sunrises in the country, but nearly any point on the coast will offer a spectacular view.
The Jungles of Belize - LGBT Travel in Belize
Over 60 percent of Belize is forested, and nearly 40 percent of the land is under some sort of government protection. Hiking through the jungles is an amazing experience: We ran into a fresh jaguar paw print in the mud, a nest of crocodile eggs, a slithering green vine snake and beautiful topical flowers and butterflies. Plantains grow in people’s backyards, and coconut trees are plentiful near the beaches and on the islands.
Look out for the black orchid, the Belizean national flower. Tour companies such as Belize Lodges and Excursions provide qualified, local guides to lead hikers on trails through the nearly untouched wilderness.
Wild Creatures of Belize
Watch carefully for Belize’s national animal, the tapir, an endangered critter that’s related to the horse and looks a little like a warthog. Though we weren’t lucky enough to score a tapir sighting during our trip, plenty of more fortunate visitors report seeing them along the rivers around sunrise and sunset. Belize is also home to lots of jaguars, gorgeous, exotic snakes, crocodiles and 575 species of birds.
We also saw plenty of “Jesus Christ lizards” scampering across the water on their hind legs. Underwater live hundreds of species of beautiful tropical fish, stingrays and sharks.
Most of Belize’s tourists are nature lovers, and many are extreme sports enthusiasts. It’s famous for having the world’s second largest barrier reef, spanning 200 miles, and some amazing snorkeling and scuba diving. Undersea Expeditions , an LGBT scuba company, leads trips to Belize periodically.
Belize’s original inhabitants were the Mopan Maya, who inhabited the area from around 1500 B.C. They are still the predominant ethnic group in many regions, and ruins from their ancient cities are popular tourist attractions. In the Toledo District (the southernmost region of Belize), don’t miss Lubaantun (“the place of fallen stone”), supposedly where the famous crystal skull was discovered in the 1920s.
Lubaantun itself was first discovered in the early 1900s when the Irish Dr. Thomas Gann blew it up with dynamite, destroying much of the rock but leaving many large structures, including ancient ball courts, intact. Just a few miles away is Lim Ni Punit (“big hat”), a site populated by ball courts, shrines and tombs excavated in the 1990s.
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